Friends of the Archives Newsletter
Vol. 17, no. 1, May 2009.
A KNIGHT TO REMEMBER: Sir Roger Penrose, FRS,
distinguished guest speaker at FOA Fundraiser.
Young Roger was used as the
intermediary running back and
forth with the latest ‘move’. “I
thought this was perfectly
normal,” he quipped. (Jonathan
Penrose was later to become
Britain’s chess champion ten
times.)
Sir Roger Penrose, eminent mathematician
and cosmologist, gave a delightful, at times
whimsical reminiscence celebrating his
father, Lionel Penrose, at the Fundraiser
dinner held at the University of Toronto
Faculty Club on Monday, March 23. The
event was in collaboration with the
Department of Psychiatry, University of
Toronto, and was chaired by Don
Wasylenki, Prof. and Chair of the Dept. of
Psychiatry. Proceeds from the event
supported the Dr. JDM Griffin Bursary.
Lionel Penrose was a psychiatrist, research
scientist and pioneer geneticist who was
Director of Research for the Department of
Health in Ontario, 1939-1945. His life and
work were highlighted in a themed display
put together by Thelma Wheatley, member
of FOA, but Sir Roger brought the family to
life with many amusing anecdotes. He
recalled country walks with his father,
whom he called “Lionel”, the three brothers
working out chess moves as they went
along.
Deemed one of the ten most intelligent
people in the world, Sir Roger delighted
guests by recounting how, when the family
moved to London, Ontario, for the duration
of the Second World War, young Roger was
moved back a grade because, as he said: “ I
couldn’t do mental arithmetic fast enough”!
Sir Roger described Lionel Penrose as an
attentive father, especially interested in
Roger’s mathematical development but
somewhat lacking in emotional empathy for
a boy’s more mundane needs such as putting
up a tent in the garden – for that the children
turned to mother, “Margaret”.
Father and son grew closer later in life,
when both shared an interest in intriguing
puzzles, working together on what became
known as the “Penrose Triangle”, after
admiring the work of artist Escher.
Both are Fellows of Britain’s prestigious
Royal Society, (FRS) which has inducted
such illustrious scholars as Sir Isaac
Newton. Sir Roger noted wryly the motto of
the Society: “Take nobody’s word for it”.
Other highlights. . .
“Was it a rat I saw?”
Anthony Feinstein, Prof. of Psychiatry at
Sunnybrook Hospital, Toronto, delighted
guests with his playing of a palindrome
composed by Dr. Lionel Penrose, in a
musical interlude during the evening. A
palindrome is a piece of music that may be
played forwards – and then backwards!
Dr Feinstein was beautifully accompanied
by Benny Wong at the piano.
“Freud’s Post-Card”!
Sir Roger Penrose was intrigued to see on
the display board a facsimile of Freud’s
post-card to his father, Dr. Lionel Penrose,
while a student at university. Written in
German, the words translate as: “Why didn’t
you ask her about her sex life?” A copy of
the post-card, acquired by Cyril Greenland
from the University of London, is in CAMH
Archives.
Dr. Anne Bassett introduced guest speaker
Sir Roger Penrose. Appointed in 2002 as
Canada Research Chair in Schizophrenia
Genetics at CAMH and U of T., Dr Bassett
acknowledged Dr. Lionel Penrose as
influential in her career because he “used
traditional genetic approaches with a
modern twist.” His 1940-44 study as
Ontario’s Director of Psychiatric Research
involved 5,000 pairs of relatives with
psychiatric illness. With assistance from the
pre-CAMH Archives, Dr. Bassett was able
to access original data from Dr Penrose’s
research.
President’s
Message
It has certainly been an eventful winter, with
both the temperature and the financial world
sinking all too rapidly in the West.
As with investors everywhere, we watched
in horror as our investment in the Toronto
Community Foundation (the Hewton Fund)
produced no revenue. Nevertheless,
although retrenchment was necessary, we
did award three bursaries for 2009.
Our major undertaking was the Penrose
Dinner and Fundraiser in collaboration with
the University of Toronto Department of
Psychiatry. This was a very successful
evening and I would like to thank: Cyril
Greenland, whose brainchild it was; John
Court, archivist, who helped organise the
event (brilliantly as always); and Thelma
Wheatley, for the superb themed display of
Dr Penrose’s life and work. The event raised
$4,800 for the Griffin Fund.
On May 20 at 6pm the Annual General
Meeting will take place at CAMH.
Everyone is welcome to attend. Have a great
summer – we all deserve it!
Hewton and Griffin Bursaries
2009
Kendra Hawke : “The collaboration
between Christian temperance groups
and medicine in the treatment of
alcoholism/inebriety in the late
nineteenth and early twentieth
centuries.” Griffin Bursary.
Fatimah Jackson - “Culturally-specific
mental health-care services for ethnocultural communities in Canada, and
the potentialities of an emerging
service model for Canadians of
African descent.” Griffin Bursary.
Danielle Terbenche – “The professionalization of psychiatry in nineteenthcentury Ontario, focussing on the
medical superintendents heading the
province’s four major asylums at
Toronto, Kingston, London, and
Hamilton.” Hewton Bursary.
Vivienne.
Book Review
The Age of Anxiety: A History of America’s Turbulent Affair with Tranquilizers. Andrea
Tone. Basic Books, New York, 2009.
Andrea Tone, Research Chair in the Social History of Medicine, McGill University, is a
distinguished scholar. Her new book, The Age of Anxiety, is diligently researched. Pitched
to the American market, its Canadian content is in danger of being overlooked. Of interest to us at CAMH
is Tone’s recognition of the contribution of the late Dr. Ruth Cooperstock (1928-1985) who was employed
at the former A.R.F. as a medical sociologist. Her pioneer research on women and pharmaceuticals, not
always welcomed by her colleagues, earned her an international reputation and a joint appointment at the
Dept. of Behavioural Sciences at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto. Her outstanding
contribution to the health and well-being of women was acknowledged by the Ruth Cooperstock memorial
lectures.
Cyril Greenland.
Archivist’s Update
by John Court
The CAMH Redevelopment Project’s phase 1B, now under way, will entail
replacing the present Administration Building with several smaller-scale, contemporary
structures.
In advance of demolition, the Archives – as well as our partner, the Health Sciences Library, and
all of the building’s other units and offices - have begun a phased relocation to interim quarters.
By this autumn, the Library will have relocated to Queen Street’s Unit Four, while the Archives
will resume with climate-controlled storage in Unit One.
Please stay abreast of the Redevelopment Project’s wide-ranging overall vision and current
progress by linking to updates via the CAMH website www.camh.net.
More Highlights. . .
Who’s the bagpiper?
None other than Cyril Greenland’s grandson,
Angus Benderavage, piping in the Head Table
at our FOA Fundraiser.
To view more photos of the event, link to the
Department of Psychiatry’s web-site:
http://www.utpsychiatry.ca/News09/apr/apr1709.asp#Mar23-09-PenroseDinner-pics .
Photos courtesy of photographer Tom Lackey,
and our co-sponsor, the Department of Psychiatry.
Friends of the Archives
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Queen Street Site
1001 Queen St. W., Toronto, ON M6J 1H4
Tel: 416-535-8501 x2159 ; Fax: 416-583-1308
email: Friends_Archives@camh.net or John_Court@camh.net
Board Members :
Vivienne Gibbs (President), Cyril Greenland, Carol Hopp, Edward Janiszewski, (Vicepresident), Sandy Macpherson, Andrew Malleson, Shirley Morriss, (co-editor), Aden Roberts,
Thelma Wheatley (co-editor.)
Friends’ Support People: Yves Boissel, John McClellan, Marshall Swadron.
CAMH Liaison: John Court, Syd Jones.